A modular runtime enforcement model using multi-traces

Runtime enforcement seeks to provide a valid replacement to any misbehaving sequence of events of a running system so that the correct sequence complies with a user-defined security policy. However, depending on the capabilities of the enforcement mechanism, multiple possible replacement sequences may be available, and the current literature is silent on the question of how to choose the optimal one. In this paper, we propose a new model of enforcement monitors, that allows the comparison between multiple alternative corrective enforcement actions and the selection of the optimal one, with respect to an objective user-defined gradation, separate from the security policy. These concepts are implemented using the event stream processor BeepBeep and a use case is presented. Experimental evaluation shows that our proposed framework can dynamically select enforcement actions at runtime, without the need to manually define an enforcement monitor